1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an area monitoring sensor, and more specifically relates to improvement in an area monitoring sensor that detects an intruding object in a monitoring area to generate a stop signal for stopping an operation of an external device.
2. Description of Related Art
An area monitoring sensor is a safety device which detects an intruding object, such as a person, that has intruded into a monitoring area, to generate a stop signal for stopping an operation of an external device such as a machine tool (e.g., Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 2009-276173, 2009-276164, and 2009-282640).
For example, the area monitoring sensor is provided with a light projection part that generates detection light, a scanning part that performs a scan with the detection light in a circumferential direction about a rotational axis, and a light reception part that receives the detection light reflected by a target to generate a detection signal. The intruding object is detected by obtaining a distance to the target based on the detection signal and specifying a two-dimensional position of the target from the distance to the target and a scanning angle of the detection light.
Area setting information to specify the monitoring area and operation setting information to specify an operating condition for the area monitoring sensor are created by use of a terminal device such as a personal computer. For example, by use of orthogonal coordinates with the area monitoring sensor taken as a center, a position of an apex or a distance of an apex from the center is specified, thereby specifying a two-dimensional region of any shape and size as the monitoring area. Further, parameter values for a variety of setting, such as a resolving power and response time for detection of the intruding object, are specified as operating conditions. The terminal device generates setting data made up of the area setting information and the operation setting information based on a user operation, and transmits the setting data to the area monitoring sensor. The intruding object is detected based on this setting data.
The foregoing area monitoring sensor is a safety device aimed at stopping an operation of a hazard source such as a press machine or a work robot when a worker approaches the hazard source. Thus, the area monitoring sensor is often installed in the vicinity of the hazard source. However, in the conventional area monitoring sensor, a light projection part, a scanning part and the like are arranged in a common casing with a display part that displays an operating state. Thus, at the time of occurrence of abnormality such as detection of the intruding object, there is a problem of having to approach the hazard source so as to look at display contents of the display part for checking the operating state of the area monitoring sensor. Further, also at the time of connection of the terminal device to the area monitoring sensor, there is a problem of having to approach the hazard source.